Since 2014, Odell has occasionally brewed a new version of Wolf Picker—named after the classic hop-harvesting rig—to experiment with new hop varieties and to celebrate its relationships with hop farmers. This IPA recipe is based on the Wolf Picker first brewed in 2018, the year that Indie Hops released Strata, and it’s a showcase for that variety; it features notes of grapefruit, mango, and peach.
ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.048 (11.8°P)
FG: 1.007 (1.8°P)
IBUs: 50
ABV: 5.4%
MALT/GRAIN BILL
4.7 lb (2.1 kg) pale two-row
3.4 lb (1.5 kg) pilsner
15 oz (425 g) Munich
7 oz (198 g) Weyermann Carafoam
HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
0.05 oz (1.4 g) Strata at 45 minutes [2 IBUs]
0.1 oz (3 g) Strata at 30 minutes [4 IBUs]
0.1 oz (3 g) Strata at 15 minutes [3 IBUs]
1 tablet Whirlfloc at 5 minutes
1.5 oz (43 g) Strata at whirlpool [29 IBUs]
1.5 oz (43 g) whole-cone Strata at hopback [12 IBUs]
3.3 oz (94 g) Strata at dry hop
YEAST
German ale strain, such as Fermentis SafAle K-97 or Wyeast 1007 German Ale
DIRECTIONS
Mill the grains and mash at 151°F (66°C) for at least 15 minutes, testing with iodine to ensure that conversion is complete. Recirculate until the runnings are clear, then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as needed to get about 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil for 90 minutes, adding hops and finings according to the schedule. After the boil, do a whirlpool step: Stir or recirculate to create a vortex, add the whirlpool hops, and continue to spin. After 15 minutes, add the whole-cone hops in a hop spider or recirculate the wort through the hops via a hopback. (You may be able to use a cleaned-out lauter tun as a hopback, or make your own.) Chill to about 65°F (18°C), aerate the wort, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 67°F (19°C). On Day 4 of fermentation, add the dry hops. Two days after the beer has reached terminal gravity—likely around Day 6 or 8—rack to secondary and crash to 34°F (1°C) for 1–2 weeks. Package and carbonate to about 2.5 volumes of CO2.
BREWER’S NOTES
Water & pH: Favor chloride at a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio. Target a mash pH of 5.3 and a final wort pH of 5.0–5.1, adjusting with acid as needed.
Hopback: If no whole-cone hops are available, substitute 1 oz (28 g) Strata T-90 pellets and add about halfway through knockout.